A device 10 for a track bound monitoring system for monitoring conditions on a railway track 28 comprising a first rail 26 and a second rail 30 comprises a signal generation unit 12 having an output 13. The signal generation unit is configured to generate an electrical monitoring signal having a monitoring signal characteristic. The output is connectable to at least one of the first rail and the second rail. A sensing unit 16 has an input 17 which is connectable to at least one of the rails. A controller 20 is connected to the generation unit and the sensing unit and is configured to cause the generation unit to generate the monitoring signal which propagates in the first rail and to receive from the sensing unit a return signal. The return signal is derived from the monitoring signal and has a return signal characteristic. The controller is configured to utilize a time difference between the monitoring signal characteristic and the return signal characteristic to monitor conditions on the railway track.

A ground control device includes: a location information acquiring unit to acquire location information indicating a train location from a train through a ground wireless device; an on-track information acquiring unit to acquire on-track information indicating whether or not the train is present on a track in a predetermined zone; and a control unit to set a protection zone for the train when the location information acquiring unit cannot acquire the location information, and to cancel a portion of the protection zone on the basis of the on-track information acquired by the on-track information acquiring unit when the train has run in an emergency driving mode.

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) based vehicle-mounted system may include a first plurality of antennas and a second plurality of antennas, with an antenna of the first plurality having different polarization than an antenna of the second plurality, an antenna of the first plurality and an antenna of the second plurality having antenna patterns in a different direction relative to at least another antenna of the first plurality and another antenna of the second plurality, and an antenna pattern of one antenna of the first plurality and an antenna pattern of one antenna of the second plurality being directed at least approximately parallel to the path. A corresponding MIMO-based stationary system may include at least a first plurality of antennas and a second plurality of antennas, with radiation patterns of the first and second pluralities being configured to overlap within an area between the first and second pluralities.

A radio train control system controls the trains on tracks on which track circuits are built, and includes: ground radio devices performing radio communication with the trains and acquiring position information of the trains; field devices acquiring track circuit state information indicating whether the track circuit is ON or OFF; ground base devices receiving the position information and the track circuit state information and transmitting control information to the trains; and an on-track vehicle control device receiving the position information and the track circuit state information and managing on-track information. The ground radio devices and the field devices have transmission paths connected with the on-track vehicle control device without the ground base devices, and the on-track vehicle control device can transmit the control information to the trains through the transmission paths when the ground base device is out of order.

A radio train control system controls the trains on tracks on which track circuits are built, and includes: ground radio devices performing radio communication with the trains and acquiring position information of the trains; field devices acquiring track circuit state information indicating whether the track circuit is ON or OFF; ground base devices receiving the position information and the track circuit state information and transmitting control information to the trains; and an on-track vehicle control device receiving the position information and the track circuit state information and managing on-track information. The ground radio devices and the field devices have transmission paths connected with the on-track vehicle control device without the ground base devices, and the on-track vehicle control device can transmit the control information to the trains through the transmission paths when the ground base device is out of order.

The present invention refers to a method for detecting a break in a railway track, system for detecting a break in a railway track (1) and device for detecting a break in a railway track (500), in which a first track (101) and a second track (102) are connected defining measuring sections (302, 303) and electrical detection networks (M1, M2), in which a device for detecting a break in a railway track (500) is coupled to said tracks (101, 102) and arranged to measure at least one electrical parameter of at least one electrical detection network (M1, M2) and selectively promote an output (502) that indicates a state of at least one track (101, 102).

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.